Iran nuclear talks snag over demands

by Lara Jakes - May. 23, 2012 11:14 PMAssociated Press

BAGHDAD - Talks between Iran and six world powers snagged Wednesday over dueling proposals concerning Tehran's nuclear program, a tug-of-war that pits international concerns about the Islamic Republic's potential to build atomic weapons against enforcing crippling sanctions on its people.

The daylong back-and-forth in Baghdad focused largely on whether the current enrichment level of Iran's uranium production is a red line the U.S. and other powers will not permit for fear it could become warhead-grade material.

At stake is the threat an Iran armed with nuclear weapons could pose to its neighbors. The U.S. and Israel have indicated readiness to attack Iran if diplomacy and sanctions fail to curb its nuclear program. Both suspect that Iran is aiming to build nuclear weapons, and Israel believes it would be a prime target. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.

The impasse threatened to dissolve the most hopeful chance of detente in nearly a decade, although both sides agreed to continue negotiations into today.

"The international community hasn't done something wrong here -- we haven't created a suspicious nuclear-weapons program that the world doesn't know the answers to. Iran has," a senior U.S. official said early today after the grueling day of discussions that, at times, appeared on the verge of breaking down. "They are the party who has acted to create concerns in the international community."

However, the official said, the negotiations remain in the beginning of a careful and drawn-out process.

"We certainly are not at the end of it," said the U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks more candidly.

Western negotiators presented a package Wednesday that called on Tehran to place a freeze on its enrichment of uranium to 20 percent, considered a short technical step away from bomb grade. In exchange they offered benefits, including medical isotopes, some nuclear safety cooperation and spare parts for civilian airliners, much needed in Iran.

But they snubbed Iranian calls for an immediate easing of significant economic sanctions imposed on Tehran for flouting U.N. Security Council resolutions that demand the suspension of all enrichment.

Iran brought a potent bargaining chip to the table, tentatively agreeing on the eve of the negotiations to allow U.N. inspectors into a military complex suspected of conducting nuclear arms-related tests. The gesture was seen as an attempt to head off July 1 sanctions on its oil exports to European markets.